Building permits, township zoning and septic rules in Licking County, Ohio

At a glance

Building permit

Required for new homes, additions and specified residential alterations in the county department's jurisdiction¹⁶

Zoning

Varies by township — 19 of 25 townships are zoned and 6 are un-zoned⁷

Septic permits

Installation and operating permits required from the Licking County Health Department⁴

Owner-builder

May do the work, but must submit plans and obtain approval before construction⁸

Private water

Health Department permit required before installing or altering a well or other private water system⁵

Ag buildings

Exempt from state building-code review once a township or county zoning inspector certifies agricultural use⁹

Road frontage

Classified collectors and arterials require future right-of-way reservations; township building setbacks also apply¹⁰¹¹

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Licking County, Ohio?

In the Licking County Building Code Department's jurisdiction, new dwellings and additions need permits; detached garages, sheds and carports over 200 square feet also need permits¹. A deck needs a permit when it is attached, exceeds 200 square feet, rises more than 30 inches above grade or serves the main entry¹. The county department covers most, but not necessarily all, of Licking County, so confirm which building department serves the parcel and whether the specific work needs approval²⁶. Before county submission, obtain a zoning certificate from the local zoning inspector, or Health Department approval where the township has no zoning¹². An owner-builder may perform the work, but must submit plans and obtain approval before construction begins⁸. A regulated residential building cannot be used or occupied until the building official issues a certificate of occupancy or completion¹³.

Who issues building permits in Licking County, and how do you reach them?

The Licking County Building Code Department at 675 Price Road in Newark handles building permits and construction-document review in its jurisdiction¹². A submission requires the completed application, a zoning certificate or Health Department approval where there is no zoning, and two complete sets of plans and specifications¹⁴. The county publishes applications, checklists, procedures and a fee schedule online¹⁵. The published residential schedule lists a $41.25 structural base fee plus $22 per 100 square feet for new construction, additions and accessory structures, plus applicable charges, but its date is old; request a current calculation before paying¹⁶. The department reviews documents for code compliance¹². Building permits come from the county department, but zoning approval comes from the township and septic and well permits from the Licking County Health Department¹⁷¹⁸. Planning and Development can direct a landowner to the correct township zoning inspector, but the township handles its own zoning documents and enforcement¹⁹.

Does Licking County have zoning, and what does it mean for setbacks and lot size?

In unincorporated Licking County, 19 of 25 townships are zoned and 6 are un-zoned; each township prepares and enforces its own zoning documents⁷³. The county publishes township zoning categories online, but the map service does not replace township resolutions and maps²⁰²¹. Eden, Fallsbury, Hanover, Hopewell, Mary Ann and Perry are listed as un-zoned²¹. Reynoldsburg, mainly in Franklin County but extending into Licking County, administers its own city zoning; household septic remains with the Licking County Health Department²²¹⁸.

Licking Township's Residential District requires at least 1,000 square feet of gross ground-floor dwelling area and a minimum 20-foot smaller dimension²³. Single-family lots generally need 1.6 acres with individual sewer or water facilities, or 20,000 square feet with qualifying community sewer and water service; certain older lots have an exception²⁴. Licking Township residential setbacks generally require 30 feet from the road right-of-way sideline, 10 feet on each side and 15 feet at the rear; corner-lot side-street clearance is at least 20 feet, and accessory structures must be at least 20 feet from a dwelling¹¹. Confirm exceptions and the right-of-way boundary with the township inspector; these dimensions do not apply throughout Licking County¹¹.

Who issues septic permits in Licking County, and how do they work?

The Licking County Health Department administers permitting and inspections for household and small-flow sewage treatment systems in Licking County²⁵. Septic permits for Licking County come from the Health Department, not the township or the Building Code Department²⁶. Obtain both an installation permit and an operating permit before installing a system, and note that the permit is valid for 1 year from the date issued⁴. The installer must schedule an inspection before backfilling, and noncompliant items require reinspection for system approval²⁷²⁸. New systems receive a follow-up inspection 12 months after completion; off-lot discharging and drip-irrigation systems are inspected annually, while soil-absorption systems are inspected every 5 years²⁷²⁹. Start with a site evaluation because not every lot can support an on-lot system³⁰. Only 3.6% of county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, so do not assume a conventional layout will pass³¹. A Health Department permit is also required before installing or altering a well, cistern, hauled-water tank or drinking-water pond⁵.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Licking County?

We could not confirm one countywide rule allowing RV or tiny-home occupancy on a private parcel. The practical answer begins with the parcel's township zoning inspector because township zoning varies, and a city or village may have separate municipal zoning³. Ask specifically about using an RV during construction, time limits, utility connections, minimum dwelling size and whether a tiny home is treated as a dwelling, accessory structure or vehicle. Ohio's campground rule regulates vehicle placement, density and sanitation in licensed campgrounds, but it does not answer residential RV occupancy on an individually owned parcel³². A manufactured home generally cannot be occupied until an inspector issues its installation seal, subject to the temporary-occupancy exception³³. Any private septic or water system still needs the applicable Health Department permits⁴⁵.

What are the steps to build a home in Licking County, in order?

1. Identify the township and ask Planning and Development which zoning inspector serves the parcel¹⁹.
2. Obtain the township zoning certificate, or Health Department approval where there is no zoning¹⁴.
3. Arrange the sewage site review early because not every lot can support an on-lot system³⁴.
4. Obtain sewage installation and operating permits, plus a private-water permit if the project needs a well or another private supply³⁴³⁵.
5. Submit the building application, prior approval and two complete plan sets to the Building Code Department¹⁴.
6. Confirm the current local fee and inspection schedule before work begins; Ohio requires inspections of regulated work after plan approval³⁶³⁷.
7. Keep the sewage system open for inspection before backfilling, complete later maintenance inspections and obtain final residential occupancy or completion approval before moving in²⁹¹³.

What should you check before you buy land in Licking County?

Confirm the parcel's township and incorporated status because zoning jurisdiction changes by location³. Make an offer contingent on acceptable sewage and water results when those systems matter: only 3.6% of county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, and the Health Department warns that not every lot can support an on-lot system³¹³⁰. Ask whether public sewer is accessible; Ohio can require connection when capacity and distance conditions are met³⁸. Verify legal road access and ask the road authority whether driveway approval applies, because we could not confirm a general county-road rule. Licking County regulates subdivisions and other parcel-creating land divisions in unincorporated areas, with separate procedures for qualifying minor divisions³⁹⁴⁰. Planning and Development administers the county subdivision rules, and the Health Department reviews proposed lots without public water and sewer for sewage feasibility⁴¹⁴². For properties abutting classified collectors and arterials, Licking County also reserves future road right-of-way: 6 feet per side for minor collectors, 20 for major collectors and 30 for arterials, based on an existing 60-foot right-of-way; a narrower or absent right-of-way requires additional reservation¹⁰. These reservations differ from township building-yard setbacks; ask Planning and Development to identify the road classification and applicable reservation before choosing a home site¹⁰.

Watch-outs

• The published county fee schedule is dated 2013 and may not be current; ask the Building Code Department for the current total before submitting payment⁴³.
• An owner-builder still must submit plans and obtain approval before beginning regulated construction⁸.
• We could not confirm a parcel-wide answer for RV or tiny-home occupancy; ask the township zoning inspector or the applicable city or village zoning office³.

Sources

1. Summary of residential work that does or does not require approval, quoted and re-checked
2. Building Code, quoted and re-checked
3. Township & Zoning Info, quoted and re-checked
4. Sewage Treatment Program, quoted and re-checked
5. lickingcohealth.org, quoted and re-checked
6. Building Code, quoted and re-checked
7. Township & Zoning Info, quoted and re-checked
8. Section 3791.04 | Submission of plan - approvals - prohibition - fine (2026 county census)
9. Section 3781.06 | Public buildings to be safe and sanitary - definitions (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. Licking County Access Management Regulations, quoted and re-checked
11. Licking Township Zoning Resolution, quoted and re-checked
12. Licking County Building Code Department (lickingcounty.gov)
13. Ohio Residential Code, Section 111, quoted and re-checked
14. Licking County Planning Commission, quoted and re-checked
15. Licking County Planning Commission, quoted and re-checked
16. Building Permit Fee Schedule, quoted and re-checked
17. Township & Zoning Info, quoted and re-checked
18. Sewage Treatment Program, quoted and re-checked
19. Licking County Planning and Development (lickingcounty.gov)
20. Planning/Zoning MapServer, quoted and re-checked
21. Planning/Zoning Feature Service, quoted and re-checked
22. Reynoldsburg: Development Department | Reynoldsburg, OH (Licking County), quoted and re-checked
23. Licking Township Zoning Resolution, quoted and re-checked
24. Licking Township Zoning Resolution, quoted and re-checked
25. Sewage Treatment Program, quoted and re-checked
26. Sewage Treatment Program, quoted and re-checked
27. Sewage Treatment Program, quoted and re-checked
28. Sewage Treatment System Permit Administrative Summary, quoted and re-checked
29. Sewage Treatment Program, quoted and re-checked
30. Licking County Health Department (Sewage Treatment Program) (lickingcohealth.org)
31. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
32. Rule 3701-26-04 | Campground requirements (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
33. Chapter 4781-7 | Manufactured home inspections (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
34. Sewage Treatment Program, quoted and re-checked
35. lickingcohealth.org, quoted and re-checked
36. Chapter 4101:7-7 | Fees (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
37. Rule 4101:7-3-02 | Building department personnel duties and responsibilities (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
38. Rule 3745-42-07 | Best available technology for connection into sanitary sewers and centralized collection and treatment (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
39. Licking County Subdivision Regulations, quoted and re-checked
40. Licking County Planning Commission, quoted and re-checked
41. Planning & Development, quoted and re-checked
42. Planning & Development, quoted and re-checked
43. Applications, Forms, and Handouts, quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.